RS dy-chief’s poll: BJD to open its card today

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which is set to play a key role in the election of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha (RS), will disclose its stand Wednesday.
Speaking to media here, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, BJP president Amit Shah, home minister Rajnath Singh and NCP chief Sharad Pawar called up BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking his support for their candidates for the RS deputy chairman’s post.
Kumar, Shah and Rajnath requested Naveen to support JDU lawmaker and NDA’s candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh while Pawar sought his support for his party’s candidate Vandana Chavan (57) whom the united opposition has made a candidate for the post, the BJD leader said.
“BJD will take a final call on what would be its stand for the election tomorrow. Accordingly, it will inform the media about the decision,” Patra added. BJD, which has nine members in the RS, will play a key role in deputy chairman’s election. If NDA gets its support, it will win the poll. At present, there are 244 members in the Upper House as one seat is lying vacant. Support of at least 123 members would be needed to win in the poll.
According to sources, the Opposition has 116 votes including two members of the YSR Congress while BJP has 73 members on its own. Besides the nominated and independent members affiliated to BJP, the saffron party is banking on the support of 13 AIADMK members, nine BJD MPs, six TRS MPs and two YSR Congress MPs to sail through the election.
The nomination papers will be filed August 8 while the election will be held August 9. The post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman fell vacant after PJ Kurien retired June 30, 2018.